Humorist and podcaster Eli McCann's wryly hilarious first novel, Stitched, follows a fractious Utah quilting group as they prepare for a big competition--and unpicks some of the reasons their dynamics may be fraying at the seams.
The historically all-female Ogden Quilters Association is thrilled to hear that a big regional quilting competition will take place in a neighboring town. Straitlaced chair Betty Lou believes it's their chance to create a showstopping quilt and win an award, perhaps compensating for their previously uneven showings at the event. The group welcomes two new members, Byron and Rob, both young gay men who are brand new to quilting, in an effort to inject some fresh energy into their quest. As the members debate quilt design ideas and subtly try to one-up one another with the baked goods they bring to meetings, their personality clashes and underlying frustrations with one another come to the surface.
McCann (We're Thankful for the Moisture) deftly captures the affection, tension, and passive-aggressive power dynamics the members display at OQA meetings along with their colorful fabrics and varying levels of skill. He also explores the details of competitive quilting culture, including arcane administrative rules, feuds between rival quilting groups, and artistic differences. The OQA's members--among them levelheaded fabric shop owner Candace, prickly Leera, sweet Lucy, gregarious Byron, and quiet Rob--make up an odd patchwork of personalities, and McCann's narrative celebrates the threads that connect them: hard work, longtime friendship, forgiveness of small slights, and showing up, especially in unexpected ways. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams